Summer Update - Part 2 - Everything Else

*Long post alert* 

So, the miserable part is over and done with... in my March blog post, I alluded to some news that I had that I would share very soon, and of course, I didn't. So, better late than never...

We are going to be grandparents!!! We have known since December but had to wait until our daughter was happy with us breaking the news. She has had a rough pregnancy, really tough, poor girl. She was bleeding for days very early on. Heavier than the spotting that quite commonly happens. She has been sick throughout. We've had a few dashes to the hospital when she hasn't felt him move, and yesterday we had to take her because she thinks she's had a show. She's due in 6 weeks, on the 4th of August, which is also my parent's wedding anniversary, but she doesn't think she'll make it that far. At her scan earlier this week, she found out that he is also breech, so if he doesn't shape himself, she will have to have a section. She's happy with that, but having given birth both ways, I've advised her that if he's head down, to try and have a normal birth because the recovery after a section can be horrific, especially when you have a newborn to look after. It was so hard for me to care for my firstborn, I was in so much pain for weeks afterwards. Her partner will be very hands-on but he works full time and they live together a few miles away, so it's not like it's so easy for me to pitch in and help. 

She has also applied to go back to college to finish the final year of her music course. She wants to get the course completed with a view to going to uni one day. Her partner's mum is very supportive, Mr G and I are willing to help out and her partner is fantastic, too. So between the five of us, it's do-able. It takes a village, after all. As I told her, having a child doesn't mean the end of her life, especially when she has support. If help is offered, accept it. 

I am so excited. Mr G has been beyond from the minute he found out. I don't think he could have been any more ecstatic (well, maybe if it had been me) and he punched the air and said 'Yessssss!' when he found out. We have bought them a new pram system, a baby gym. We have bought ourselves a travel cot, a baby chair, a car seat to have here. We've bought clothes for him, and I have knitted some stuff too. Mum has knitted and bought her a baby chair for their house, her oldest brother has committed to buying a high chair, and the middle brother a play mat that she wants. The cot arrived this week. So between us all, we've managed to get pretty much everything needed for his arrival.

She wants to have a party when he is born, a joint welcome/birthday party, at home in the back garden. Just family, she said, and she wants to get shitfaced. That's my girl. I was put on a red wine IV the instant I had given birth. I'll put the gazebo up and put a small buffet on.

In other news, the middle boy has been accepted into four universities/colleges to do the degree that he wants to do, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Wrexham and Llandrillo. He's opted for Bangor so that he can live at home. The youngest has been accepted at Coleg Menai to do his sports course. He has his prom on Thursday this week. We went suit shopping. Cost me a fortune but he looked so smart. 

It seems that I now have a signature cake - The Biscoff. The first made for Mr G's cousin's visit in May, the second one requested by my birthday twin Al, and the third for my brother's birthday a fortnight ago.

I haven't had the balls to make a triple layer again. Yet!

I had a nice and relaxed birthday. I had some nice gifts and I had two birthday cakes, Mr G made me one and my cousin made me a beauty too, a Caramilk cake. She really should be making these professionally. I keep telling her. 

I had a new rug, throw and dreamcatcher for the bedroom we are making into a spare/tarot room. A new Maneki Neko, wine, chocolates and money. Mr G took me out to Cemaes Bay and we had a nice walk around there. Neither of us had been before, or rather, I may have been as a kid, but so far back that I don't remember. We had fish and chips for lunch (what else?) and I pinched Mr G's leftover gravy, to his disgust.

Crusaders had an amazing start to the season, winning seven consecutive games, but then subsequently lost the next two. We are at home to Doncaster next Sunday, the last time we played them, we nilled them, away, so they'll be out to avenge that. 

Just some of the things I have knitted for my grandson. God, how weird it feels to say that. My grandson. I've also knitted him a hat, scarf, mitts and booties in Crusaders black and gold. I think we're probably fully caught up with all the news. See you in December for the winter update!